Legend of Zelda: The Next Generation
by day-dreamer-shteen
Summary: The journey of Isamu, Link's son, as he leaves home to rescue his dad from a mysterious new enemy.    **Takes place after Twilight Princess. Spoilers are a possibility. You have been warned**
1. Chapter 1

It was a peaceful day in Hyrule. The sky was blue, the birds were chirping, and the children were playing. Yes, a nice, peaceful, quiet day in Hyrule...

"HYY-AAH!"

Isamu stepped to the side, narrowly missing Link's sword as it sailed past him and struck the ground. He swung his own, smaller sword towards Link's gut. Link rolled to the side and swung his sword towards Isamu's neck. Isamu ducked, rolled to the side and did a spin attack. Link jumped back and held his sword with both hands, pointed towards Isamu. Isamu steadied himself and put himself in an almost identical position.

They stared at each other in silence for a couple minutes. Finally, Link sheathed his sword and smiled. "Well done, Isamu."

Isamu relaxed, sheathed his sword and smiled as well. "Thanks, Dad!"

"You're improving, Isamu," Link said, as they walked through the Faron Woods with Epona. "You'll grow to be a fine swordsman."

"Do you think I'll ever save Hyrule, like you did?"

Link chuckled. "Maybe. You never know."

Isamu lit up. "Awesome!"

As they passed the Faron spring, Isamu stopped to look at it. "Hey, Dad?"

Link stopped and turned back to him. "Yes?"

"What did the four light spirits look like?"

Link paused for a moment, and then walked over to where Isamu was standing, Epona following all the way. He sat down at the edge of the water, and Isamu did the same. Link stared at the water, silent. A couple minutes passed, and Isamu realized that he was thinking, not about his question, but about Midna.

He had heard many stories about Midna. The true ruler of the Twilight Realm, turned into an imp by an evil man named Zant, she had helped Link defeat Zant and Ganondorf to save Hyrule from being covered in Twilight, a shadow where regular light folk appear only as spirits, or, in Link's case, a wolf. After Hyrule was saved and Midna was returned to her true form, she returned to the Twilight Realm, utterly destroying the Mirror of Twilight, the entrance to twilight, behind her, so not to cause any more trouble between the worlds.

Isamu didn't understand very well. What _was_ Twilight, really? All his father had told him was that it was like a giant shadow, and the Twilight Realm and the Light Realm should never mix. He wouldn't tell him anything else.

Midna had been Link's partner, his best friend. The two of them had been a great team. This was how Link had always described her to Isamu and his older sister, Sakura. Isamu believed his dad, but Sakura thought otherwise.

"In his mind, they were just friends," she always said, "but in reality, they were secretly in love with each other! A princess of shadows and a hero from the light: it's totally romantic and completely obvious!"

Isamu, on the other hand, idolized his dad. He hung onto his every word and believed everything he said. He knew that Link was telling the truth.

"Well," Link said now, bringing Isamu back to reality, "the four light spirits represented four different animals: Ordona was a goat, Faron was a lemur, Lanayru was a snake and Eldin was a bird. Each sprit contained a ball of light: Ordona, for example, had a ball of light in between his horns, and the snake had one in his mouth."

"Were they bright?"

"Yes, they were very bright."

Link glanced at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. "We should head back. It's almost dinner time." He looked at Isamu and smiled. "If we're late again, Sakura will surely yell at us!"

Hearing this, Isamu leapt up and ran towards the bride that led to Ordon Village. After a couple of feet, he turned back and called, "Hurry up, Dad! I hate it when Sakura yells at me!"

Link laughed and stood up. "Ok, ok, I'm coming!"

"You're late!"

Isamu cringed. Caught! He turned around to find his 14-year-old sister looking at him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. "Well?"

"It's not my fault!" Isamu said. "It's Dad's! He's the one who waited so long to start heading back!"

"He's a mayor and a hero," Sakura retorted. "He's allowed to be late sometimes. You, on the other hand, are a 10-year-old—"

"10 and 3 quarters! Tomorrow's my birthday!"

"Whatever. And almost 11-year-old wannabe hero who wouldn't have the guts to save a goat."

"That's not true!" Isamu protested. "I'm Isamu! I could save all of Hyrule, if I wanted!"

Sakura snorted. "You wish!"

"It's true! Dad even said so!"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'Maybe'."

Their argument was interrupted by a quiet neigh. A small, white horse walked up from behind Sakura and stopped about a foot away from Isamu.

"Hannah!" Isamu cried, hugging the young horse. She neighed happily in reply.

"Speaking of Hannah," Sakura said, "You have to start taking better care of her! If you're going to have a horse, you have to take care of yourself! I'm not like Mom; I'm not going to keep picking up your slack!"

Link, who had been watching them argue, chuckled, causing Sakura to look at him. "What?"

Link shook his head as he gestured for Isamu to give him his sword. "Nothing. You're just more like your mother than you think."

Sakura blinked. "I am?"

Link nodded as Isamu handed him the small sword. "Yes, you are. She was always harassing me about taking better care of Epona."

"But you take wonderful care of Epona!" Sakura cried.

"Maybe now, but I apparently didn't meet her standards back then…" Link climbed the ladder to their tree house. Once at the top, he looked back down to Sakura and Isamu. "Stay right there, I'll be right back!" He then disappeared into the house.

Isamu kicked the ground. "Why can't I keep my sword when we aren't training? I don't see why he has to lock it in that stupid chest."

Sakura leaned against a tree. "He has to lock it up because you're 10."

"Almost 11!"

"Yeah, well, 11 doesn't cut it. You gotta remember, he got his first sword when he was 16!"

Before Isamu could reply to this, a girl's voice interrupted him. "Issy, you're back!"

Isamu looked towards the village entrance to see Lika, his best friend and daughter of the store owner, standing there.

Before he could reply, Lika ran and threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over. He blushed furiously. "L-Lika…"

Lika pulled away and put her hands on her hips. "Issy, what took you so long? I've been waiting for so long!"

"Lika, don't call me Issy!" Isamu insisted. "My name's Isamu!"

Lika tilted her head. "But you don't look like an Isamu. Isamu doesn't suit you. I like Issy better!"

Isamu sighed. "Fine."

Just then, Link reappeared from the house. "Hello, Lika!"

Lika waved. "Hi, Mr. Link!"

"How's the store doing?"

"Mom says it's doing well."

"That's good."

"Mr. Link!"

Isamu turned towards the village to see Leo running towards them.

Link jumped down from the ladder. "Is something wrong?"

Leo shook his head as he approached. "No. Auntie just told me to tell you that, while you were gone, the new ranch hand arrived, and my dad is back and wanting to speak with you."

Link smiled. "Let me guess: he wants to have a duel?"

"Yep."

Link pulled his sword from his sheath. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep him waiting, now, would we?"

"Go Dad!" Isamu cheered. "You can do it!"

"Come on, Dad!" Leo yelled. "Kick his butt!"

Everyone was gathered in between the village store and the ranch hand's house, watching Link and Leo's father, Collin, a royal guard who was visiting, dueling. Isamu didn't know much about Collin, other than the fact that he used to live in the village and had idolized Link as a child. When Isamu and Leo were only 2, some monsters attacked the village and killed both of their mothers before Link and Collin could save them. Once Leo turned five, Collin left for Hyrule Castle to become a Royal Guard, leaving Leo behind with Collin's younger sister. He visited a couple times a year, whenever he could, for a couple of days. And when he did, he insisted on dueling with Link.

Now, Link yelled as he swung his sword towards Collin. He tried to block it with his sword, but the force of Link's swing knocked it out of his hand and onto the ground a couple feet away.

Everyone stared at the sword in silence. Finally, Isamu and Sakura burst into cheers, along with the rest of the village before congratulating Link on yet another victory.

Collin bent down and picked his sword. Turning it in his hands, he smiled, and looked up as Link approached him. "Even after all these years," Collin said, "I still can't beat you."

Link smiled and patted him on the back. "There's plenty of time for that," he said. "Right now, let's just be happy that you're back home, safe and sound."

"You still haven't apologized."

The sun was setting, and Isamu and Lika were sitting in the ranch, watching Link teach the new ranch hand, Abigail, how to manage the goats.

Isamu looked at Lika, confused. "For what?"

"For being late!"

Isamu sighed and fell onto his back. "But it wasn't even my fault!"

Lika fell back beside him. "Fine, then," she said. "You can make it up to me tomorrow."

"How?"

Lika looked over at him and smiled. "By coming to the store first thing tomorrow so I can be the first one to give you a present!"

Isamu blushed. "Y..You didn't have to get me anything, you know…"

Lika looked at the sky and closed her eyes. "I know," she replied. "But I want to."

Isamu blushed harder, glad that Lika couldn't see him. "O…okay…"

Lika sat up, looked down at him and smiled. "Good!" She stood up and brushed the dirt and grass off of her skirt. "I have to go now. Mama will be worried, otherwise."

Isamu sat up and watched her run to the ranch entrance. Once there, she turned back and waved. "See you tomorrow!" she cried.

Isamu smiled and waved back. "Tomorrow," he whispered as she ran out of the ranch. Then he fell onto his back once more and glanced at the pink and purple clouds above him, peacefully, for what seemed like hours but was really only about five minutes.

Suddenly, the peace was broken by a very loud yelling. "Mr. Liiink!"

Isamu sat up and looked towards the ranch entrance to see the postman running towards Link, as he always did. Isamu got up and ran over to where Link and the postman met.

"Mr.…Postman!" Link said. Isamu tried not to laugh. No one knew the postman's name, not even Link. He found it funny to watch his father struggle with what to call him. "Who has written to me?"

"Telma!" the postman gasped. "She said it's quite urgent! I got here as fast as I could!"

Link quickly grabbed the letter that the postman handed him. Isamu knew why Link was so rushed. Telma was the bar lady that helped him save Hyrule, along with Collin's father and some other people. They had been a group called The Resistance, aiming to save Hyrule from the trouble it was in. They had been a great help to Link, or so he said.

After quickly scanning the letter, Link called Epona using the horse caller that Isamu's mother had given him long ago. Epona came running, and Link began preparing a saddle.

"Where are you going?" Isamu asked.

"Zelda's in trouble," Link replied. "And if she's in trouble, all of Hyrule will be. I must leave now." Seeing the look of disappointment on Isamu's face, Link felt instantly guilty. "I'm sorry I have to miss your birthday." He said, hugging Isamu tightly.

Isamu smiled. "It's ok, Dad!" he said. "Go save Hyrule again! Then you'll have more stories to tell me!"

Link smiled. "Yes, I think I will." He turned towards the far end of the ranch, where Sakura was tending to her own horse, Chestnut. "Sakura! Come over here, please!"

Sakura looked up and, seeing the postman, quickly ran over to where everyone was standing. She was used to this, and knew what Link was going to give her.

"Sakura, I need you to look over this key," Link said, handing her the key to the chest that contained Isamu's sword. "Don't open it unless absolutely necessary. You shouldn't need it, since Collin is here, but he might have to leave at any time. Watch over your brother and the rest of the children, protect the village and stay safe." He grabbed Sakura and Isamu in one last hug before jumping onto Epona. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He then rode Epona out of the ranch and the village, leaving Sakura and Isamu waving behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

"ISSY!"

Isamu groaned and pulled the covers over his head, blocking out the sunlight and trying to block out the noise.

"ISSY! WAKE UP!"

Suddenly, the covers were yanked from his hands. He groaned even louder and put his head under his pillow.

"You better get up if you want to live to see your twelfth birthday."

Isamu peeked out from under the pillow to see Sakura looking down at him, an amused look in her eyes. His eyes drifted down to her hips, where her hands rested, holding his blanket.

He lazily sat up and tried to reach for the blanket. Sakura shook her head and threw it down to the floor, a couple feet away. "It's almost noon. Lika's waiting for you."

Isamu looked at her, confused, and then remembered. "Today's my birthday!" He cried, leaping off the bed. He whizzed past Sakura and out the door, where he saw Lika standing at the bottom.

"Hurry up, Issy!" she yelled impatiently. "I've been waiting for EVER!"

"Gimme one sec!" Isamu called back to her. As he ran back inside to get dressed, he heard Lika huff in frustration and smiled. Lika had always been impatient.

Ten minutes later, Isamu was waiting outside the village store, waiting for Lika to come back with his present. It was taking her quite a while, and many people had already dropped off some gifts: a saddle for Hannah, a new pair of boots, and a green cap, identical to Link's, which Isamu was wearing at that very moment. He eagerly wanted to run over to the pond and see what it looked like, but he was afraid that Lika would come out while he was gone and yell at him. So he just sat there, waiting impatiently, knowing that Lika would be disappointed that she wouldn't be the first person to give Isamu a birthday present.

"Hey, Issy."

Isamu looked behind him to find Sakura standing there. He scowled and said, "Don't call me that!"

Sakura smirked. "But _Lika_ calls you that!"

"Shut up!" He tried to push her legs, but she stepped out of the way and he fell back onto his side. She looked down at him, her eyes once again amused. Then she held out her hands. "You forgot Dad's and my present."

He looked down to see a shield, identical to Link's, in her hands. That got him up on his feet, forgetting all about Lika. "A shield!" He exclaimed, grabbing it from Sakura. "Just like Dad's!"

Sakura nodded. "He ordered it from Mr. Talo. You know, the guy who owns that store in Hyrule Castle Town? He was afraid it wasn't going to make it in time for your birthday. It was a last-minute thing. But it just arrived yesterday. Right after he left, actually."

Isamu grabbed the shield, any thoughts of Lika and her present out of his mind. He tried it on with his right hand, even though he was right-handed. Sakura rolled her eyes and switched the shield around herself. "You're not left-handed, dummy.

Isamu sulked. "But Dad is!"

"Well, you're not Dad. You know as well as anybody in this village does that you can't swing a sword with your left hand to save your life. Which, if you have it to begin with, you just might have to. Try your left hand, and you're dead." Isamu remained silent, so Sakura continued, "Quit acting like you're 10. You're 11." Isamu looked up to see her smiling, a semi-rare sight after their mom died. She ruffled his hair and pulled him into a hug, a very rare sight, whether or not their mother had died. "You're my little brother. My only brother. You're also the only son of Link, the hero chosen by the gods, or whatever he's called. You'll go on to protect Hyrule, no matter what anyone says, including me. You're expected to, you have to protect the family name. You're the only one who can."

Isamu pulled away and looked up at her, his eyes filled with curiosity. "What about you? He's your dad, too."

Sakura shrugged. "Sure, I could. I've tried, and I'm pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. If I wanted to, I could be training with Dad everyday. Hell, I could even be going with him right now, if I had asked him."

"So why don't you?"

"Seriously? I don't want to. I'd rather stay in the village, and take care of the horses, than run around Hyrule, trying to chop some guy's head off. Come my 15th birthday next month, I'm going to be in the ranch, 24/7, helping Abigail with the horses, maybe even the goats." Sakura looked towards the store. "For the love of Din, how long have you been waiting for that girl?" she asked, changing the subject.

Isamu remembered the promise he made and instantly felt a little guilty. But only a little. And both the promise and the shield were forgotten when he heard a faint yell coming from Faron Woods: "Ms. Sakuraa! Mr. Isamuuu!"

Sakura immediately took off running towards the postman's voice, as she always did when her father was away. Knowing that he'd never catch up with her, let alone beat her to the postman, he let out a short, loud whistle. Before he could even think about Lika, he grabbed the saddle and set Hannah up as quickly as he could, the moment Hannah arrived. As soon as she was ready he mounted onto the saddle and rode off, not once looking back to see Lika watching him leave, in the doorway of the store, a slingshot with a delicately hand-made bag full of pellets in her hands.

Isamu flew down the path, past Sakura and came to an abrupt halt in front of the postman, scaring him so much that he jumped back about a foot, tripped over a tree root and fell backwards.

_Oops_, Isamu though as he mounted off Hannah. "Are you ok?"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, I'm fine!" the postman insisted, standing up and brushing himself off. He took out a letter and handed it to Isamu. "It's quite urgent. I would've been here sooner, but, well, one can only get here so fast on two legs, right?"

"Thanks, Mr.," Isamu looked at him curiously. "Hey, Mr.? What's your name?"

"Oh, you don't know? It's Fred. Fred Postman."

"Your last name is Postman?"

Fred chuckled. "Why, of course! That's what everyone calls me, isn't it?"

Isamu looked at him for about a minute, then smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Well, I still have quite a few letters to deliver, so I must be on my way!" He then turned and ran off before Isamu could say good-bye.

Once the postman was gone, Isamu quickly ripped open the letter. Before he had a chance to read the first word, Sakura came up behind him and snatched it out of his hands.

"Hey!" he cried, trying to grab it back. But Sakura held it high above his reach, reading it as she held him back. As she read the letter, her expression went from amusement to shock. Once she was done she dropped the letter, the paper fluttering towards the ground. Isamu snatched it before it could hit the ground and quickly scanned it, his expression changing just as Sakura's did:

_Dear Isamu and Sakura,_

_This is urgent. I'm not going to waste time with formal introductions. Just call me Telma, ok? I'm sure you've heard many stories about me from your father._

_Something's happening in Hyrule. Something big. Something evil. Somebody has infiltrated Hyrule Castle. Queen Zelda is in trouble, as is her daughter. Link tried as best he could, but I have reason to believe that something has happened. I think he's been caught, along with almost all of the guards, the captain included._

_Please don't worry about him, kids. Isamu, don't do anything risky. Same goes for you, Sakura, but from what Link has told me I don't think I have to worry about you much. Just leave everything to me, ok? The only thing you have to do is get Collin. Leo's dad, remember? He's a soldier, probably one of the only ones not being held captive. He must come to my bar as soon as possible. Tell him that I'll tell him more when he gets here._

_ Again, leave everything to me and don't worry. Link wouldn't want you to do anything dangerous. He'll be home before you know it._

_ -Telma_

By the time Isamu had finished with the letter, Sakura had started back towards the village. "Hey!" Isamu called after her. He began to follow her on foot, then doubled back when he remembered Hannah. He mounted her and quickly caught up with Sakura. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to tell Mr. Collin."

Isamu guided Hannah in front of Sakura to stop her. "What? You can't!"

Sakura tried to get around them, but Hannah cut her off again. She huffed in frustration. "Well, what do you expect me to do? Let you go gallivanting all over Hyrule? Let myself go gallivanting all over Hyrule? No, Isamu! It's too dangerous!" She waked around Hannah's other side and broke out in a run, towards the village.

"Sakura, wait!" Isamu and Hannah took off after her. They caught up to her outside their house. He couldn't get off Hannah fast enough. He stumbled over to Sakura and grabbed her arm. She yanked it free and he fell to the ground. He grabbed her ankle and she fell forward.

"What the hell is WRONG with you?" she yelled, craning her head to look back at him.

"You can't tell Leo's dad!"

"Why not?"

"Uh…because he left?"

Isamu and Sakura looked up to see Leo looking down at them, slightly confused.

They were silent for a few moments before Sakura said, "What?"

"He got a letter from the captain of the guards last night, shortly before Mr. Link left. He left just after he did."

Sakura and Isamu were silent for a few more moments before Sakura broke it again, saying, "Shit."

Sakura was pacing around their house, with Isamu and Leo sitting on the floor watching her.

Finally Isamu broke the long silence. "Mr. Collin's gone. Let me go instead!"

Sakura glared at him. "No!"

"But what else are we going to do?"

Sakura looked away and said quietly, "I don't know."

"But I can do it! I know I can!"

"No, you can't! You're just a kid, Isamu! You're not a hero!"

"But I can be!" Isamu insisted. "If I just had my sword…"

"Oh, no. Uh-uh," Sakura said, clutching the key that hung around her neck. "You're not getting this key. No way." With that, she stormed out of the house.

Leo sighed and leaned back on his hands. "Well, I guess that's it."

"No it's not!"

Leo looked at Isamu, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Isamu looked at Leo, determination sparkling in his eyes. "We have to get that key!"

Isamu and Leo ran out of the house, looking for Sakura. Lika was waiting for them. "Issy!" she said, mad. "Where did you…"

Isamu cut her off. "Not now, Lika!" he said impatiently. "We have to find Sakura! Do you know where she went?"

Lika pointed behind her. "She went to Mr. Bo's house, I think," she said. "But…"

"Thanks, Lika," Isamu interrupted again, he and Leo pushing past her quickly.

Lika turned around. "Issy…" her voice trailed off as she realized that they were already gone. She stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do, then finally huffed in frustration before running after them.

"Grandpa!" Isamu cried, he and Leo bursting into Bo's house. Bo looked up from his book and smiled. "Isamu!" he said pleasantly. "What a…"

"Where's Sakura?" he interrupted.

Bo blinked. "Why, I think she went to the ranch. You just missed her, actually. She left her saddle here the…"

"Thanks, Grandpa!" Isamu and Leo were gone before Bo could finish his sentence.

Bo had just gone back to his book when there was a quick knock at the door and Lika came barreling in, gasping for breath.

Once again, Bo smiled. "Why, Lika," he said. "What…"

"Issy…Leo…where…go…" Lika said, half of the words lost in her gasps.

"Isamu and Leo? You just missed them, I'm afraid. They went to the ranch, I think…"

Lika groaned a thank you and ran back out the door. Bo sat there for a few minutes, confused, then shrugged and went back to his book.

Meanwhile, Isamu and Leo were rushing up to Abigail, who was tending to her horse.

"Abigail!" they cried.

"Why, hello there!" she said. "You're Link's son, right? And you're…"

"Is Sakura here?" Isamu interrupted.

Abigail blinked. "Uh, you just missed her. She just mounted Chestnut and…"

"Where?" Isamu interrupted again.

"Uh, Ordona Spring, I think…"

Together, Isamu and Leo let out the longest, loudest whistles they could. Within moments, Hannah, saddle and all, was in front of them. Since Leo didn't have a horse and didn't know if Hannah would be able to carry both of them, Leo stayed behind with Abigail as Isamu mounted Hannah and rode off, leaving Leo hoping for the best and Abigail blinking in confusion.

As Hannah galloped out of the ranch, she and Isamu whizzed past Lika, who was just stumbling into the ranch. She turned to look in the direction that Isamu was headed, then looked at Leo and Abigail, gasping for breath the entire time.

Without waiting for her to ask, Abigail and Leo said in unison, "Ordona Spring."

Lika sighed, her frustration and determination mounting. She waiting a couple minutes to catch her breath, then finally spun around and chased after Isamu yet again.

When Isamu reached Ordona Spring, Sakura was sitting on the ground, her feet in the water, holding Chestnut's reins, who was standing beside her. Isamu mounted off Hannah and sat down beside Sakura, holding Hannah's reins the same way. They were silent for a moment or two before Sakura said, "I used to come here with Mom all the time, you know. When you were with Dad, watching him do all that mayor stuff? I was with Mom, usually here. Sometimes at the ranch, but usually here. This was where she surprised me with Chestnut. This was where she told me that you were going to be born. It's a special place for me."

Isamu had no idea where this was going, so he remained silent, and Sakura continued.

"Remember the day Mom died?" she asked. Isamu looked at her, surprised, but nodded. "I was with her that day," Sakura said, a tear rolling down here cheek. "Dad hasn't told you about that day much, has he? See, Leo's mom? She had left for Hyrule Castle to surprise Leo's dad on his birthday. But I don't think she was very far out of Faron Woods before she ran into some monsters.

"They demanded that she tell them where the village was. She wouldn't, so they killed her and followed her footprints. Me and Mom were at this spring when they showed up. Mom called for help, but Dad came too late. She protected me as best as she could. By the time Dad got there, Mom was dead and the monsters were gone. I was so scared. I felt so helpless. All I could do was sit back and watch her get beaten. Watch her die. I've never forgotten how she looked at me sadly as the monsters left, leaving her bleeding on the ground. You know what the last thing she said to me was?" Tears were streaming down her face now, her voice cracking more and more through every word. Even Isamu was beginning to cry. "'I'm sorry.' Sorry! Sorry for what? Protecting me? DYING? I never found out. Mom died and all I could do was…" The last word was lost in her sobs. Isamu let go of Hannah's reins, hoping she wouldn't stray too far, and climbed into Sakura's arms. They sat there, arms wrapped around each other, crying silently for what felt like hours. Finally Sakura took a deep breath and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Anyway," she said, "the reason I don't want you to try and save Dad is because if something happened to you, I'd feel the same way I did then. The same way I do now. And I don't think I'd be able to handle that."

"I'll be fine," Isamu said, wiping his own eyes. "As long as you believe in me and I believe in myself, I'll be fine."

Sakura looked at him, her eyes unreadable. Then she smiled. "Yeah," she said. "I know."

Before Isamu could reply, he heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps, getting closer and closer. Before he knew it, Sakura was dragging him to the farthest end of the spring, saying, "Shit!"

When Isamu turned around, he was shocked to see two bulblins running into the spring. Behind them stood another bullbo, with a giant bulblin riding on it. Sakura, who was still clutching Isamu's wrist, clenched it, causing Isamu to wince and look up at her. Her eyes were full of anger and hatred, and didn't even notice when Isamu wriggled out of her grasp. "Them…" she said, her voice bitter. "It's _them_. They killed Mom!"

Isamu blinked in astonishment and took another look at the monsters before asking, "How do you know?" He had thought that they all looked the same.

Sakura nodded towards the giant bulblin. "Him," she said. "He was with them. I know it. I'd remember him anywhere."

Sakura leaned down onto one knee. Curious, Isamu knelt down, as well. His eyes widened as Sakura stuck her hand into a small hole and pulled out a wooden sword.

Sakura smirked when she saw Isamu's expression. "Impressed?" she said. "This is Dad's old sword. Did you really think that I'd keep this place unprotected after what happened?"

Isamu stood there, staring at her in astonishment until she pushed him out of the way and began attacking the bulbins. He sat there, watching her in astonishment. She was _good_. Better than she had ever admitted. Which made Isamu wonder even more why she refused to follow in Dad's footsteps. She was good. She wanted revenge, it was obvious. So why not?

Isamu was snapped back to reality by a splash. Sakura had been pushed to the ground by a bulblin. "Sakura!" he cried. She grunted and stood back up. Determination was gleaming in her eyes, but what Isamu couldn't see was that she was wavering.

The second bulblin swung his club toward Sakura's gut. She blocked it with her sword, but the bulblin pushed harder. Isamu could hear the wood beginning to crack and splinter.

"Shit," Sakura muttered, her grip on the hilt tightening. Then, just as the wooden sword gave way, she let go and fell back, ripping the key from around her neck and tossing it to Isamu. She moved so fast that Isamu had to fumble around with it before he could get a solid grip on it. He looked at her in amazement. "R-really?"

Sakura smiled from her place in the water. "Go," she said. "I believe in you."

"B-but…what about you?"

"I'll be fine," Sakura said, reaching for the broken sword. She held the pieces, one in each hand. "I think this'll be enough."

"But…"

"No buts! Just go! "Sakura pointed to a small hole in the corner of the spring. "I'll distract them, so go, Chiisai Hiiroo!"

Isamu took one last look at Sakura before diving into the tunnel and crawling through as fast as he could, Sakura's taunts fading the farther he went. It wasn't until he was out of the tunnel that he realized that Sakura had called him "Chiisai Hiiroo."

Little Hero.

Meanwhile, Lika had been waiting for Isamu outside of his house. She had caught up with him, finally, but after watching him cry with Sakura, she thought it would be a good idea to leave them alone. She'd been waiting for them to come home ever since.

She sat up when she saw Isamu coming. "Issy!" she said as he passed her. "I've been wai…"

"Sorry, Lika, can't talk," Isamu said, rushing into the house.

Lika huffed, her frustration turning into anger. She scrambled up the ladder after him.

"Issy!" she whined. "Stop ignoring me!"

"Lika, I'm busy!" He grabbed the nearby lantern and jumped down to the basement. Lika stared down into the basement after him, curious and a little scared. "Issy?" she called nervously. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her as he unlocked the chest and took out his sword. As he climbed out of the basement, Lika looked at it curiously. "I thought you weren't allowed to take your sword out of the chest without Mr. Link's permission."

"This is an emergency." He pushed past her and left the house. Lika followed. "Where are you going?" she asked as he climbed down the ladder.

"Ordona Spring," he said, not turning around.

Lika followed him. "Can I come?"

"No!" Isamu yelled, turning around. Lika jumped. "You're not coming! It's too dangerous!" With that, he ran off, not waiting for a reply.

Lika stood there, shocked, before resuming to sit and wait for him to return once more.

Isamu sat crouched at the end of the tunnel, frozen with not only fear of fighting, but amazement and admiration from watching Sakura fight.

To Isamu, watching Sakura fight was like watching Link fight. Thrilling. Exciting. Astonishing. Sakura was almost as good as Link!

Isamu snapped out of his surprise when he noticed the second bulblin aim an arrow at Sakura.

"Sakura!" Isamu yelled, scrambling out of the tunnel. "Look out!"

Unfortunately, Sakura had just pushed down a bulblin and, hearing Isamu, turned to look, instead of getting down or out of the way. The bulblin let the arrow fly, and Isamu watched in horror as the arrow pierced through Sakura's left shoulder. Her face contorted in pain as she stumbled and fell into the water, gripping her shoulder.

A deep chuckle caused Isamu to look behind him. The giant bulblin mounted off the bullbo and approached Sakura, holding a club twice the size of the one that had broken Sakura's sword. He raised it above his head and, to Isamu's horror, brought it down onto Sakura's shoulder. She winced in pain, but refused to cry. The bulblin brought it down again and again, striking her shoulder, her legs, her gut, Isamu watching, frozen in fear. It wasn't until Sakura looked at him with a mixture of sadness, guilt and fear that he remembered what she had told him, just minutes before:

_"All I could do was sit back and watch her get beaten, watch her __die__. I've never forgotten how she looked at me sadly as the monsters left, leaving her bleeding on the ground."_

The same monsters. An almost identical situation.

Voices began to echo inside his head. Voices of his friends, his family, the people he loved. The people who were all going to be let down.

_I believe in you_.

_Well done, Isamu._

_Go__, Chiisai Hiiroo!_

_ Issy!_

_ Why, Isamu!_

_ Isamu._

_ Isamu!_

_ "Do you think that I'll ever save Hyrule, like you did?"_

_ "Maybe."_ That's what Link had said. Maybe. Maybe someday.

Maybe today.

Just as the monster raised the club for what would definitely be a devastating blow to the head, Isamu jumped in front of Sakura and threw his arms out to the sides. "NO!" he cried.

This only made the smaller bulblins laugh. The larger bulblin didn't move. Slowly, keeping his eyes on the bulblin, Isamu drew his sword out of its sheath and gripped the hilt with both hands, the tip of the sword aligned with the bulblin's nose, just as Link had taught him.

This is what made the large bulblin chuckle, lowering his club. "Nice sword, kid, but can you back it up?"

Isamu gritted his teeth, his will and courage wavering.

_I believe in you._

Isamu closed his eyes, unaware of his glowing hand. He could do this. He knew he could.

_As long as you believe in me and I believe in myself, I'll be fine._

_ I __will__ be fine,_ he thought. _Because Sakura believes in me and I believe in myself._ He opened his eyes. _And I won't let her down!_

Isamu raised his sword just as the bulblin did the same with his club. The bulblin stared at him intensely, as if daring him to make a move. Isamu stared back with the same intensity. Then the bulblin brought down his club and Isamu brought down his sword at the same time.

On the brink of unconsciousness, a curtain of black coming closer and closer, Sakura watched through half-closed eyes as Isamu's sword and the monster's club struck head-on. She watched as Isamu pushed harder, gripping the hilt of his sword. She watched as his hand glowed, the light outlining a symbol, but her vision to fuzzy to make it out. She watched as the club began to crack and splinter, just as her sword had. The curtain of black closed, but not before she saw Isamu's sword cut clean through the bulblin's club and hitting his hands, causing him to cry out in pain and back away. As the sounds faded away, Sakura could've sworn that she heard Link saying, "Well done, Isamu."

The two smaller bulblins attacked Isamu, but he sent them back with a spin attack. They were about to attack again before the large bulblin called them back.

"We will meet again, kid," he said to Isamu as he mounted his bullbo. "And next time, we _won't_ go easy on you." And with that, he and the others were gone.

The minute he knew he was safe, he threw down his sword and shield and crouched down where Sakura lay, unconscious. He gently lifted her head and shoulders up and put them on his knees. He looked at her for a moment, then hugged her tightly, careful not to touch her injured shoulder.

"Please," he said quietly, a tear sliding down his cheek. "Take my shield. Take my boots, my saddle, my cap, my sword, even take Hannah back. Just don't take my sister." The glowing symbol on his hand disappeared. "Please."

_She won't die_.

Isamu blinked and looked around. No one else was there.

_Your sister will be fine._

Isamu looked up and gaped. Before his very eyes, a shimmer of light appeared out of nowhere and transformed into a large goat, like the ones that were kept at the ranch.

_My name is Ordona,_ it said. _I am the light spirit that protects Ordona Province._

Isamu continued to gap. He was actually meeting one of the light spirits of Hyrule!

_Your father has indeed been captured,_ Ordona continued. _An evil just as great as Ganondorf, if not more, has infiltrated Hyrule Castle. Hyrule is in danger once more, and it is you who should save it._

"M-m-m-ME?" Isamu exclaimed. "B-b-b-but I'm just a kid!"

_Maybe so, but your power is great_, Ordona said. _You are the only one who can, now that your sister is injured._

"B-but…" Isamu looked down at Sakura, who was still unconscious. How could he leave Sakura, Lika and Leo behind? What if something happened?

_You're the only one who can do it_.

Isamu looked back up to Ordona to find that she was beginning to fade. "W-wait!" he said. "There must be someone else!"

_No._ it said. _You are the only one who can save not only your father, but all of Hyrule! You are the only one, Little Hero._

Isamu blinked. Little Hero. Chiisai Hiiroo.

_I believe in you._

_The only one…._ Ordona was fading fast.

"W-wait!" Isamu cried, desperate. "What do I _do_? Where do I go?"

But Ordona was already gone.

Sakura groaned and shifted position. Pain shot down her arm from her shoulder, and her eyes flew open. She turned her head to see Isamu kneeling over her, Lika standing a short distance away, looking worried. A quick look around the room revealed that she was at home, in her bed.

"Thank the Goddesses," Isamu said. "You're ok!"

Sakura sat up and winced as more pain shot down her arm. Her shoulder was bandaged and her whole body was sore. She looked at Isamu's relieved expression and quickly glanced down at his hand. There was nothing there.

She focused her gaze back on Isamu's face. "What…"

Lika took that moment to speak. "Issy saved you!" she cried excitedly.

Sakura saw Isamu blush. She smiled. "I didn't expect anything less."

Isamu smiled half-heartedly. He was glad that Sakura was ok, but he was still worried that the monsters would come back. He wanted to stay and protect everyone, but…

He knew what he had to do.

Later, Isamu, Sakura, Lika and Leo stood at the bridge to Faron Woods Isamu was preparing Hannah, and Sakura and the rest stood a couple feet away, watching.

Isamu was leaving. He was riding off to Hyrule Castle Town, hoping to find some clue of what had happened to Link, and what was going on in Hyrule.

Once Hannah was ready, Isamu mounted onto the saddle and looked back at his friends. "Well…"

"Don't worry about us," Leo interrupted. "You aren't the only one who can use a sword, you know. My dad's a knight, remember? He's taught me a thing or two!"

Isamu laughed and looked at Sakura. She waved him off. "Just go," she said. "And don't do anything stupid!"

Isamu smiled. "I won't." He switched his gaze from Sakura to Lika. She looked at the ground and remained silent.

He said good-bye to Sakura and Leo, and looked one more time at Lika. She continued to look at the ground silently. Finally, Isamu said a quiet, "Bye, Lika," and rode off.

He was half-way across the bridge before Lika called him back. "IIISSSSSYYYYYYYYY!"

Isamu halted Hannah and turned back to see Lika running after him. He mounted off of Hannah and Lika threw her arms around him.

"You're going to come back, right?" She was crying. "Promise me you'll come back!"

Isamu blushed as he hugged back. "I promise."

Lika pulled away and wiped her eyes. She pulled something out of her bag and showed it to Isamu. He blinked. It was a slingshot and a bag of pellets.

"I made the bag myself," Lika said, holding it out to Isamu. "It's your birthday present."

Isamu took the slingshot and opened the bag. Pumpkin seeds. Isamu had a flashback of the past month, when all Lika would eat were pumpkins, and blushed. "Thank you," he said, putting them in his bag.

He mounted Hannah and, with one last wave to Lika and the rest of his friends, rode off. He rode across the bridge, past Faron Spring and the lantern salesman. He stopped at the edge of Hyrule Field and, with one last glance towards the village, rode off into the field, unaware of the unnatural shadow following him on the cloudy day.


	3. Chapter 3

Isamu leaned back against the tree and sighed, his map laid out in front of him. He'd been gone for no more than 2 hours, and he was already lost!

He leaned forward again and placed his finger on the map marked _Ordon Village_. "Ok," he said to himself quietly, "I left the village with Sakura and the others—" he traced his finger past the spot marked _Ordon Spring_ "—then left them at the bridge and continued through the forest by myself." He continued to trace his finger along the path marked on the map and stopped at the edge of the section marked _Hyrule Field_. "Then I…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the map and the endless amount of paths he could've taken. Finally he groaned in frustration and flopped back against the tree. "Why does Hyrule have to be so _big_?" he grumbled.

"Oh, please, it isn't _that_ big!"

Isamu sat up quickly and scanned the field. He was all alone, save for Hannah, who was standing beside him, her reins tied to the tree.

"For the love of Celina, down here!"

Isamu's eyes darted to the ground beneath him and his brow furrowed in confusion. All he could see was his shadow.

_His shadow!_

His eyes darted up to the sky. It was a cloudy day, so why did he have a shadow?

He looked back down to his shadow and gaped as it shifted position and appeared in the air in front of him, changing from his shadow to a strange imp-like creature. He let out a yelp as he fell back, fumbling around for his slingshot before pulling back the elastic and aiming it at the creature.

The creature merely rolled its eyes. "Unless you plan to throw it at me, it won't do much damage unless you load it with a _pellet_."

Isamu cursed as he fumbled around with the bag, dropping a couple of pumpkin seeds before finally loading one into the pocket of the slingshot and re-aiming it at the imp, mentally kicking himself for not practicing a bit before leaving the village.

The imp placed its—her?—hands on her hips and chuckled. "Wow," she said sarcastically. "I'm _so_ scared!"

Isamu gripped the handle of the slingshot tighter, his gaze never straying from the imp's amber eyes.

"For the sake of Lea, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you."

Isamu didn't lower his guard. "H…how do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't know. You don't know me at all, but _I_ know _you_. You're the son of Link, right? The Hero of Twilight?"

Isamu blinked and lowered the slingshot. "Y-yeah…"

She smiled, and Isamu caught a hint of relief and kindness in her eyes. "Perfect."

A few minutes later, Isamu was reluctantly following Kaida through Hyrule Field.

"Are you sure we're going to right way?" he called up to her. She had returned to her shadow form—saying that she wouldn't be spotted as easily that way—and was guiding Isamu from high up in the sky.

She turned around and began to float backwards, ignoring Isamu's nervous look. "You know, an advantage to being in this stupid imp form is that I can fly. This in turn means that I can fly high above Hyrule and see which way to go, like a giant map. It's better than a map, really, because I can see enemies, broken bridges, and—"she turned back around and squinted before making an abrupt right turn. "And blocked pathways," she finished, her response to Isamu's unvoiced question as to why she turned so suddenly.

Isamu sighed, hating to admit that she was right. He couldn't read a map to begin with, so all those blocked paths only would've confused him more! Instead of saying anything more, he thought back to his previous conversation with Kaida.

"How do you know about my dad?" Isamu had asked curiously as he picked up the fallen pellets.

Kaida avoided his question. "Why _wouldn't_ I know about him?"

"Well…you don't look like you're from around here," Isamu said, tightening the bag. "And he's not normally called the 'Hero of Twilight'. He hasn't told anyone much about his journey besides me, my big sis and my mom."

Kaida didn't meet his gaze. "Let's just say I'm…_different_."

Isamu was brought back to the present when Hannah stopped suddenly. It was then he realized that he had spaced out, and Hannah had been following Kaida on her own. Kaida had stopped and now floated back to wear Isamu sat on Hannah's back. She hovered beside him and pointed straight ahead. "You're welcome."

Isamu looked ahead and Kaida saw his eyes light up as he saw the beautiful sight of Hyrule Castle, sparkling with the light of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. Kaida smiled sadly. _He's going to be disappointed when he discovers what's _really_ going on behind those castle walls_, she thought as she fled to his shadow to hide as he mounted off Hannah, tied her to a nearby tree and walked into the hustle and bustle of Castle Town.

_So, where to first?_ Isamu heard Kaida ask from her position in his shadow. He shook his head. He had no idea how she did it, but she was somehow communicating with him silently with her mind.

_Telma's Bar_, Isamu responded. _She was….is...good friends with my dad. She'll help us._

_Help _you, Kaida corrected him. _She can't see me, remember? If she does…well, let's just say things will get out of hand._

Isamu nodded, knowing that what she said was right. _But either way, she'll still be helping you, even if she doesn't know it._

Kaida was silent for a while before responding, _I don't need help._

Isamu smiled to himself. _You're here, aren't you? You took the trouble to find _me_, didn't you?_

_Well, yeah, but…_

_But nothing_, Isamu interrupted her. _You wouldn't have gone to the trouble of finding me if you didn't need help._

Kaida was silent again before saying, _I don't know how you come up with this stuff, Isamu._

Isamu smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. _My dad._

After asking a couple of soldiers for directions, Isamu had found his way down a small alley and into Telma's bar. He stood in the doorway, a little shy to go in. At the counter, he saw a large woman with dark hair with no signs of gray, who he assumed to be Telma, the owner of the bar. Aside from a white cat in the corner, the only people there were Telma, and, as Isamu was surprised to discover, Fred Postman.

"What do you _mean_ he's not coming?" she yelled at Fred.

"He's not coming," Fred said calmly and simply. "I received a letter from Leo, his son, saying that his father had already been issued back by the captain of the guards." _They must me talking about Mr. Collin,_ Isamu realized.

_Who?_ Kaida asked. Isamu ignored her and continued to listen.

Telma groaned and put her head in her hands. "How can that be?" she said. "The captain of the guards was captured a week ago, at least!" She sighed and lifted her head. "At this rate, Link's son will…" She stopped as she noticed Isamu standing there. "I…Isamu?"

Isamu hesitantly stepped forward and nodded.

Telma rushed over to him and knelt down, worry, relief, confusion and happiness glimmering in her eyes all at the same time. She remained silent, looking at him for what seemed like hours, before finally stating, matter-of-factly, "You look just like Link."

Half an hour later, Isamu sat at a table with Telma, a glass of milk in front of him. He had told her everything that had happened to him since yesterday (leaving out the parts about Kaida, of course), and she was now carefully thinking over what he had said.

Finally she said, "So you managed to get here, all the way from your small village, without running into any enemies?"

Isamu nodded, while at the same time saying to Kaida, _You owe me!_

_Whatever,_ was Kaida's response.

Telma looked at Isamu curiously. "You know," she said, "I feel as though there's something you're not telling me…"

Isamu but his lip. _Don't you _dare_ tell her!_ Kaida warned him.

Telma sighed and stood up. "Well, everyone has their secrets." Isamu watched as she walked over to the counter and began to busy herself with something. Isamu sat there, unsure of what to do. Finally, after Kaida hissed, _Do__ something!_ Isamu asked, "So, are you going to help me?"

Telma stopped what she was doing and sighed. "No, I can't, I'm afraid."

"Why not?"

"Because I made a promise to Link that I wouldn't let you do anything reckless, and I think that this definitely counts as such." She smiled. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you go back. Not by yourself, anyways. You can stay here for now—tomorrow I'll take you back to your village."

_Well, __that__ was a waste of time_, Kaida complained as they left the bar. _What made you think she would help you?_

_I don't know_, Isamu said. _I don't know of anyone else in this town, so who else was I supposed to turn to?_

_Do you want to get inside the castle?_

Isamu turned around. No one was there.

_Down here_.

Isamu looked down to find the cat he had seen in the bar earlier looking up at him. Surprised, he fell backwards. He groaned in pain, and Kaida, seeing that no one was around, came out from Isamu's shadow and turned back into an imp. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Some hero. Scared of a cat…"

"I-i-i-i…it TALKED!"

Kaida looked at the cat skeptically, then back to Isamu. "Uh-huh…"

"It did!"

"If you say so…"

_You're Link's son, correct?_

Isamu pointed at the cat accusingly. "There! See? It talked again!"

Kaida stared at Isamu. "You're crazy."

_The imp can't hear me._

Isamu looked at the cat. Her narrow eyes were looking at him attentively. _My name's Louise_, she said. _I'm Telma's cat. You're Link's son, aren't you?_

Isamu nodded hesitantly.

_I thought so_.

Louise walked slowly around Isamu, her eyes locked with his. Finally she arrived at her previous spot and sat down. _Do you want to get into the castle?_

"For the love of Celina, why are you staring at that cat?"

Isamu ignored her question. "Is my dad in the castle?"

"What?"

"Do you think that my dad is in the castle?" Isamu repeated.

Kaida shrugged. "How should I know? Probably, I guess. Why…"

Isamu turned back to the cat. _Yes, please._

Without a word, Louise walked over to where a couple of crates sat stacked into a small pyramid. She quickly jumped up the steps created by the crates and sat beside a small window, just big enough for someone to crawl through. _This window leads to the bar_, she said. _All you have to do is make your way across the scaffolding—without making a sound, or Telma will find you—to the small tunnel at the other side of the bar. That leads inside the castle._

Isamu got up and climbed up the crates to the window, Kaida following in confusion. Before entering, Isamu turned to Louise and said, "Thank you." He then crawled through the small window without waiting for a reply.

_What was __that__ all about?_ Kaida asked as Isamu carefully made his way across the bar's scaffolding.

_That cat—Telma's cat, Louise—was communicating with me tele…tele…_ He struggled to find the word that Kaida had used earlier. _The way we are now._

_HOW?_

Isamu remained silent for a few moments before responding, _I don't know_.

But Isamu _wanted_ to know, more than anything else. He knew that there was something inside of him, something that had allowed him to cut through that bulblin's club and to speak with the cat. For all he knew, it could've been allowing him to communicate with when she was in her shadow form, as well, but that could just as easily be her.

_Isamu, watch out!_

Isamu snapped back to reality. His mind had drifted, and he hadn't been paying attention to the scaffolding. Now he leaned precariously close to the edge. He could feel that he was losing his balance, and he desperately looked around for something to grab on to. There was nothing.

Isamu closed his eyes as he fell over the edge, bracing himself for the fall. He felt his feet leave the scaffolding, and he awaited the feel of the floor beneath him, unaware of the giant purple hand that reached out and grabbed the back of his tunic. It wasn't until about a minute had passed that he realized that he wasn't falling—he wasn't hitting the floor. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that he was floating in mid-air. He looked behind him to see Kaida, reverted to her imp form, her purple hair forming the giant hand that had grabbed him. He breathed a sigh of relief as Kaida floated over to the other side of the bar and dropped him just outside the small tunnel.

Isamu looked at her. "Thanks," he whispered, his voice near inaudible.

Kaida crossed her arms and avoided his gaze. _It's no big deal_, she said silently. _Just hurry up._

Isamu quietly peered around the corner, his sword ready for any attacks. Seeing that the dungeon hall was empty, he blinked and lowered his sword. He had at _least_ been expecting some rats scurrying around, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Sheathing his sword, Isamu quietly crept down the hall, Kaida following close behind. They soon found that unnecessary, as absolutely _no one_ was around, not even in the dungeon cells.

"Where is everyone?" Isamu whispered, still hesitant to make a sound.

"How should I know? Your guess is as good as mine," Kaida replied, floating up to the ceiling. "You stay here, I'll check out some more hallways." Before Isamu could protest, she was gone.

Isamu sighed and leaned against a wall, scuffing his boot against the floor. The sound seemed to echo down the silent hallway, making Isamu wince, hoping no one was around to hear. After a couple minutes, he was surprised to hear a voice that seemed to scream out, "Is somebody there?"

Isamu snapped to attention and looked down the hall opposite of the one Kaida had gone down. The voice repeated itself, "Is _anybody_ there?" It sounded like a young girl.

Isamu quietly walked over to the beginning of the hall the voice had come from and hesitantly peered down it, then looked down the hall Kaida had departed down. He knew that he probably shouldn't leave before she got back—not only could he get lost, but she'd kill him when she'd find him—but one more small question from the girl and he was quickly but quietly making his way down the hall the voice had come from, stopping at every turn to make a quiet scuffling sound, arousing another call from the girl to lead him the right way. Finally he turned a corner to find another hallway leading to a dungeon cell. He ran up to the bars to see a girl about his age staring back at him. "Who are _you_?" she asked, seeming skeptical about her "rescuer". But her skeptics disappeared when she saw something behind him. "Look out!"

Isamu turned around just in time to see a giant bulblin—the same giant bulblin he had fought at the spring—swinging a new club towards him. He ducked, the club just narrowly missing the stop of his head. The force of the club swinging over top of him knocked him to the ground. As the bulblin prepared to take another swing, Isamu unsheathed his sword and attempted to block it, only to have it knocked out of his hand and sent sprawling across the hall. Desperately, Isamu took out his slingshot and shot a couple pellets at the bulblin. They bounced off of him harmlessly and he laughed at Isamu's feeble attempt. But his laughter was cut short by a giant purple hand yanking him back and throwing him across the opposite end of the hall and straight through the wooden door that had once stood there. Isamu's eyes lit up with relief as Kaida's hand made of hair shook, the same as you would shake a hand that had just been slapped. "For the love of Celine, stay off the meat, would ya? You're _heavy_!" She then turned to Isamu and her amber eyes flashed with anger. "And _you_," she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Isamu. "What the hell were you _thinking_? I _told_ you to stay put!"

Isamu bit his lip, feeling guilty as Kaida grabbed his sword and stuffed it into his sheath for him. "Now come on, your dad's not here, so let's get outta here before that thug comes back." She grabbed his arm and began to drag him away from the cell.

"B-but…" Isamu stammered, slightly afraid to speak up about the young prisoner.

She, on the other hand, wasn't. "What about me?"

Kaida stopped and turned around, seeming to notice the young girl for the first time. "I'd rather not."

"But, Kaida…" Isamu protested, "we can't just leave her here!"

Kaida resumed to drag Isamu away. "Sure we can."

"But Kaida…"

"Hey!"

The young girl's outburst caused Kaida and Isamu to turn back. She was glaring at them furiously. "Let. Me. _Out_!" she demanded. She and Kaida locked eyes and stared at each other for an eternity before Kaida finally said, "Fine."

The girl nodded toward the path that the bulblin had flown down. "The green guy has the key."

Kaida sighed and floated into the room that she had tossed the bulblin into. She came hurrying out seconds later, the key to the cell in hand. She quickly unlocked the cell and flung the door open. "We have to go," she said. "_Now_."

Isamu furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why?"

His question was answered by a thud behind him. He turned around to find the bulblin standing in the doorway, slightly hunched over. Isamu paled when he noticed that the bulblin was holding a horn. "Oh, crap," the girl said as the bulblin raised the horn to his lips and blew.

"That's why!" Kaida yelled above the horn as they sprinted down the hallway. Isamu could already hear the dozens of bulblins chasing after them, but he didn't dare turn around. If he did, he knew that they'd gain on him fast.

As he and the young prisoner turned a corner, he asked, "What's your name?"

Before she could answer, Kaida's hair split into two giant, purple hands and yanked them back in the opposite direction. Looking behind him, Isamu could see dozens more bulblins chasing after them.

"This isn't the best time for introductions, you know," the young girl said as Kaida flew down another corner, dragging her and Isamu with her. "But it's Michiko."

"I'm Isamu." Kaida finally put them down and they continued running, running into more monsters at every corner. Finally they turned a final corner to find themselves at a dead end. They skidded to a halt in front of a wall and turned around to find the army of bulblins charging towards them.

Michiko turned to Isamu and said, "Why don't you fight them? You have a sword!"

Isamu looked at the army and visibly paled. "B-b-b-b-but…" he stammered,"th-th-th-there's s-so m-m-m-many…"

Kaida looked at the bulblins and bit her lip. _I've never done this before, but…_ She grabbed the arms of Michiko and Isamu. _I don't have a choice._ She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Isamu looked at her in confusion, all too aware of the approaching bulblins. "What are you doing?"

"Something I've never done before," she said quietly, her eyes still closed.

"But if you've never done it before, then how do you know it'll work?"

"I don't. You're just going to have to trust me."

"But…"

"Just _trust_ me!"

Isamu shut his mouth. _This is crazy,_ he though, trying to block out the cries of the bulblins. _I haven't known her for more than a day! I shouldn't be able to trust her this easily. Just because she helped me out doesn't mean she won't betray me. But at the same time…_

_I trust her._

Isamu waited, Kaida's concentration growing. Her fists began to clench, her grip on his arm getting stronger and stronger until her knuckles turned white. Isamu winced, but said nothing (unlike Michiko, who was muttering under her breath). As the first of the bulblins lunged towards him, he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the strike of a club against his body. And then…

And then he felt it.

He felt his body break apart, yet somehow he knew that the small particles were staying together. He felt what was left of his body float up, and before he knew it, he could feel the wind and smell the trees of Hyrule Field. He felt his feet touch the ground as his body formed back together. He opened his eyes to see Kaida lying on the ground, exhausted, and Michiko looking around, confused. "What the hell just happened?"

Kaida struggled to get up but failed miserably. "I…teleported…us out…of there," she gasped.

"And why the hell are you so tired?"

Kaida weakly propped herself up on her elbows and glared at the ex-prisoner. "Because…I've never done it…before…by myself…let alone with two other people!" She flopped back onto the ground and rolled over onto her stomach, burying her head into her arms and groaning.

Isamu looked at her worriedly. "Are you ok?"

Kaida groaned a muffled, "No!", but said nothing else. Finally, Isamu hesitantly touched her shoulder. When he got no reaction, he gently shook her. She grumbled a bit and shifted position, but said nothing. He then gently turned her onto her side so her face was partially visible through locks of her bright purple hair.

She was fast asleep.

"So let me get this straight: you think that you can beat the guys who kidnapped your dad?"

Isamu and Michiko were camped out on the outskirts of Hyrule Field, near Faron Woods. The sun had set and they were sitting in front of a warm, crackling fire. Kaida was lying nearby, still asleep. After Kaida had passed out, Isamu and Michiko had walked back across Hyrule Field, Isamu carrying the imp on his back. He had had to admit: when she wasn't insulting him, Kaida was really peaceful. He was kinda dreading the time when she would wake up and ruin it. "Yes, I do."

"We are talking about the same people, right? The people who beat your dad, the so-called 'Chosen Hero'?"

"Yeah."

"And you really think you can beat them?"

"Yeah…"

Michiko stared at him for a moment before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

"Wha…" Isamu stared at her as she flopped onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. "What's so funny?"

Michiko sat up and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said, "but—" She burst into giggles again.

A couple feet away, Kaida groaned and shifted position. "Could you shut up? Some people are trying to sleep over here," she grumbled before falling asleep once more.

Isamu looked at her. "Is she going to be ok?"

Michiko waved her hand dissmissively as she wiped her eyes. "She'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

Michiko stared at him. "You're seriously worried about her, aren't you?"

Isamu didn't look at her, instead looking at the leaping flames of the campfire. Finally, he nodded.

"But you haven't even known her for a day!"

"Doesn't matter." Isamu turned to Michiko and smiled. "She helped me twice today and now she's exhausted. I can't help but worry." He turned back to look at the fire. "My big sister, Sakura, says that I get that attitude from my dad."

Michiko looked at Isamu before finally standing up and stretching. "Well," she said, "I'm tired, Kaida's already asleep and you should probably get some sleep, too. Tomorrow we'll head to Faron Spring."

Isamu looked at her. "What?"

Michiko rolled her eyes. "You are serious about this, right?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then the light spirit is bound to know something about what we're up against."

Isamu blinked. "You know about the light spirits?"

Michiko turned away and silently cursed. "Yeah…"

"How?"

Michiko hesitated before waving her hand dismissively. "That's not important. What is important is that we get some sleep before tomorrow comes." And with that, she put out the fire and the campsite was plunged into darkness.


End file.
